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Manchester United’s forward line is not getting any younger – this season’s over-reliance on two stars well past the peak of their powers has been a big wake up call, and a rebuilding job is clearly needed at Old Trafford after some uninspiring attacking displays.

There’ll be much debate about whether Jose Mourinho is the right managerial mind to bring about that kind of change, and many will blame the author of the ‘parking the bus’ tactic for United’s struggles in the final third, but relying on Zlatan Ibrahimovic (35) and Wayne Rooney (31) as among your two main men in that area isn’t doing the team any good either.

Of course, United have the highly promising Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford as reinforcements, but they have mainly been used out wide this season and are very much at the opposite end of their careers to the aforementioned pair; the job of leading the line for a club of United’s stature on a regular basis has probably come too soon for them.

An ageing Ibrahimovic doesn’t look up to the job at the moment (Picture: Getty)

The Red Devils were linked with a number of ideal striker signings throughout the summer, though none materialised after Ibrahimovic was snapped up on a free. Still, be it in January or next summer, United should revisit one or possibly two of these options – strikers with the experience to step up at United, but still very much with their best years ahead of them:

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Romelu Lukaku (Everton)

Romelu Lukaku is one of the best strikers in the Premier League (Picture: Getty)

Surely on course to become one of the best strikers in the world, Everton’s Romelu Lukaku is crying out to be starring for a bigger club after suffering early-career disappointment at Chelsea.

The Belgian hot-shot has more than proven himself in the Premier League in recent years, and his career total for goals puts him among some elite company.

The 23-year-old is another big name who’d cost the big bucks for the Red Devils, but they’ve shown they’re more than willing to do that since Alex Ferguson’s retirement – and they’re not shy of raiding their rivals for star players when they have to.

Moussa Dembele (Celtic)

Moussa Dembele has had a terrific start to the season (Picture: Getty)

A player reportedly attracting admiring glances from United and other top clubs at the moment, Moussa Dembele is having a superb season after making the move to Celtic this summer.

Still only 20 years old, the Frenchman has 16 goals in 23 games so far this term, and was already viewed as being good enough for the Premier League after tearing it up in the Championship for former club Fulham last year.

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Like Martial and Rashford, Dembele may be a bit young to be automatic first choice for the Reds right now, but he’s making a strong case for himself as a player with a fearless attitude and maturity beyond his years, so expect the United links to continue.